Mumbai:
In a big blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Samajwadi Party today quit the alliance after a controversial remark from a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray on the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
On the 32nd anniversary of the Babri Mosque demolition, Milind Narvekar, a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader posted a photo of the mosque, accompanied by a quote from Shiv Sena patriarch Balasaheb Thackeray which read, “I am proud of those who did this.”
M Narvekar’s post also featured images of Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and himself.
— Milind Narvekar (@NarvekarMilind_) December 5, 2024
The Samajwadi Party has two MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly. After MVA parties skipped the oath-taking ceremony today, Samajwadi Party state president Abu Asim Azmi and party leader Rais Shaikh defied the boycott call and took their oaths.
“An advertisement was given by Shiv Sena (UBT) in a newspaper congratulating those who demolished Babri masjid. His (Uddhav Thackeray) aide has also posted on X hailing the demolition of the mosque,” Mr Azmi said, as quoted by news agency PTI. “We are quitting the MVA. I am speaking to (Samajwadi Party president) Akhilesh Singh Yadav. If anyone in the MVA speaks such language, what is the difference between the BJP and them? Why should we stay with them?”
The Maharashtra Assembly elections saw the Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, win 230 of the 288 seats. This was followed by the swearing-in of Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister, with Mr Shinde and Mr Pawar taking oath as Deputy Chief Ministers on December 5.
Besides the two Samajwadi Party wins in the Maharashtra elections, the Congress contested 103 seats but managed to win only 16. The Shiv Sena (UBT), which fielded candidates in 89 constituencies, won 20 seats, while the NCP, led by Sharad Pawar, contested 87 seats and secured victory in just 10.
